# Gerry Hart

Gerald William Hart (January 1, 1948 – May 12, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 730 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Detroit Red Wings, New York Islanders, Quebec Nordiques, and St. Louis Blues between 1969 and 1982. He reached the NHL playoff semifinals four times in five seasons with the Islanders.
In 1979 he joined the Nordiques, who claimed him in the 1979 NHL expansion draft.
Hart retired from the NHL in 1982 and began living off his investments.
In October 1992, Hart, along with college roommates Thomas Mattioli and Randolph Nash, opened The Rinx recreation complex in Hidden Pond Park in Hauppauge, New York with a 20-year land lease from the Town of Islip. On May 26, 2004, Hart sold the popular ice rink and day camp to Francis J. Palamara, a business consultant, who formerly served as Executive Vice President for Aramark.
Hart died on May 12, 2023, at the age of 75.

## Career statistics
### Regular season and playoffs

| | | | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Regular season | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs | Playoffs |
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM |
| 1964–65 | Flin Flon Bombers | SJHL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 1965–66 | Flin Flon Bombers | SJHL | 57 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 170 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1966–67 | Flin Flon Bombers | MJHL | 46 | 22 | 28 | 50 | 189 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 19 | 90 |
| 1966–67 | Flin Flon Bombers | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 48 |
| 1966–67 | Port Arthur Marrs | M-Cup | — | — | — | — | — | 5 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
| 1967–68 | Flin Flon Bombers | WCHL | 58 | 13 | 38 | 51 | 290 | 15 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 43 |
| 1968–69 | Fort Worth Wings | CHL | 26 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 52 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1968–69 | Baltimore Clippers | AHL | 38 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 88 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 23 |
| 1968–69 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1969–70 | Fort Worth Wings | CHL | 64 | 2 | 19 | 21 | 226 | 7 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 26 |
| 1969–70 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1970–71 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 64 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 148 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Tidewater Wings | AHL | 28 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 146 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Fort Worth Wings | CHL | 14 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 84 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1971–72 | Detroit Red Wings | NHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1972–73 | New York Islanders | NHL | 47 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 158 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1973–74 | New York Islanders | NHL | 70 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 61 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1974–75 | New York Islanders | NHL | 71 | 4 | 14 | 18 | 143 | 17 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 42 |
| 1975–76 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 6 | 18 | 24 | 151 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 24 |
| 1976–77 | New York Islanders | NHL | 80 | 4 | 18 | 22 | 98 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 23 |
| 1977–78 | New York Islanders | NHL | 78 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 94 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| 1978–79 | New York Islanders | NHL | 50 | 2 | 14 | 16 | 78 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 1979–80 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 71 | 3 | 23 | 26 | 59 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Nova Scotia Voyageurs | AHL | 2 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | Quebec Nordiques | NHL | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1980–81 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 63 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 132 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 |
| 1981–82 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 35 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 102 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 33 |
| 1982–83 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| NHL totals | NHL totals | NHL totals | 730 | 29 | 150 | 179 | 1240 | 78 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 175 |

## Awards and achievements

* MJHL First All-Star Team (1967)
* Turnbull Cup MJHL Championship (1967)
* WCJHL First All-Star Team (1968)
* Honoured Member of the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame
* Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame on Long Island in the Hockey Category with the Class of 1997.